Method and apparatus of monitoring foot inflammation

Inventors

Petersen, Brian • Bloom, Jonathan David • Linders, David Robert • Engler, Jeffrey Mark

Assignees

PODIMETRICS Inc

Abstract

A method and apparatus for evaluating foot inflammation each uses at least one temperature detection modality to form a first thermogram and a second thermogram of the sole of at least one foot. Each thermogram forms a substantially continuous set of two-dimensional temperature values across the sole of the (at least one) foot. The thermograms have features; namely, the first thermogram has first features and the second thermogram has second features. The method and apparatus thus control a device to apply at least one transformation to the first and second thermograms to align the first features with corresponding second features, and determine, at any thermogram location, if at least one of the thermograms presents one of a plurality of patterns indicative of inflammation. Finally, the method and apparatus each produce output information indicating the result of the determination of whether the thermograms present one of the plurality of patterns.

Core Innovation

The invention evaluates foot inflammation of at least one foot of a patient by using temperature data produced by at least one temperature detection modality to form a first thermogram and a separate second thermogram of a sole. Each thermogram forms a spatially continuous data set of two-dimensional temperature values across the sole, and the first and second thermograms have first features and second features, respectively. The approach produces output information indicating a result of the determination of whether the thermograms present one of a plurality of patterns indicative of foot inflammation.

A spatial alignment operation is applied to one or both thermograms so that the first features of the first thermogram align with corresponding second features of the second thermogram. The alignment uses at least one transformation, including affine transformation, and may include non-affine transformation. The description further indicates that thermogram alignment can be performed using a common coordinate system and can involve reflection, rotation, translation, scaling, and interpolation when discrete temperature values are used to form spatially continuous thermograms.

After alignment, the system determines at any thermogram location whether at least one of the thermograms presents one of the plurality of patterns indicative of foot inflammation. The determination result is used to produce output information, including risk information related to ulcer emergence and progression, based on the presence of prescribed inflammation or ulceration patterns. The system architecture includes an orientation module, a pattern recognition system, and an analyzer, and the description indicates the output can be provided via a remote server or network interface, including analysis across left/right feet and/or different times.

Claims Coverage

The document includes three independent claims that cover a method, a system, and a computer program product. Across the independent claims, the coverage centers on generating spatially continuous 2D thermograms of a sole from temperature data, aligning thermograms by feature alignment via transformation, detecting inflammation-indicative patterns at any location, and producing output information reflecting the determination result.

Across the independent claims, the core inventive scope is forming a first and a separate second spatially continuous 2D thermogram of a foot sole from temperature data, aligning thermograms so that corresponding features match via transformation, determining at any thermogram location whether inflammation-indicative patterns are present, and producing output information indicating the determination result.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications